


In A Perfect World

by DaFox12



Category: Batman - Fandom
Genre: First work - Freeform, Gen, Marriage, implied sex, too perfect
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-31
Updated: 2015-08-03
Packaged: 2018-04-12 06:20:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,897
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4468538
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DaFox12/pseuds/DaFox12
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bruce Wayne wakes up in a world that isn't his. He'd like it to be, it's just that it's a little too perfect.....</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Waking Up Different

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Enjoy!

Laughter.   
Not the familiar, warm kind that echoes through the halls of Wayne Manor. Familiar, but cold. Maniacal. 

A shade of green.   
Also familiar. The Joker's hair? Damian's mask? An old hat?

The darkness didn't answer. Bruce Wayne fell deeper into the dark until he was completely enveloped. 

He woke up in Wayne Manor. He didn't have a cold sweat. He didn't scream. He just woke up. Woke up with a feeling in the pit of his gut. Something was wrong. He wasn't certain what the issue was. There must be an issue, though, some sort of injury that caused Alfred to insist on him staying home from patrol. He sat up gingerly, trying to avoid hurting whatever injury he had. He waited for the wave of pain to wash over him, but it never came. It was decided then. Bruce was going on patrol, no matter what Alfred said. He wasn't in pain, anyway. Bruce glanced at his door. Perhaps it was already past patrol time? A quick glance and the cerulean numbers of his alarm clock told him otherwise. He bolted up, off of his bed and gently stepped towards the ornate door. He cracked it open, sucked in his unusually large gut, and shuffled through the door. He shuffled down the hallway, and stopped at Dick's door. It was open. Bruce frowned. Dick never left his door open. He had formed the habit of closing his door when he first moved in, terrified of the shadows of the hall. Bruce opened the door further to glance inside. It was empty. Dick MUST be on patrol. Bruce shook his head and continued down the hallway. He didn't stop at Jay or Tim's doors. Nothing was out of place there. Jay's door still had the old police tape he had put on when he was younger, then hastily scratched off a few years later. Tim's was perfectly clean. Bruce grunted and rubbed his temples. His head hurt. Bruce shook it off and kept on walking. He squinted to spot Damian's door. Then, very suddenly, Bruce tripped and was on the floor, a yelp was audible. He shakily brought himself back up. He must not be feeling right. He could have recovered from that, at least normally. He squinted down. The dog. Bruce frowned again. Ace slept inside Damian's room, not outside. Something was definitely wrong.   
When Bruce arrived at the old grandfather clock, he looked at it and sighed with relief. It was still broken. He put the hands to that tell-tale time, and..... Nothing. Bruce grunted and pushed it aside, seeing nothing but a blank, empty wall, save for an old scrawl in Dick's handwriting; "Hiya, dad! You are the best! Love, Dick." Bruce didn't smile, despite what that note should have meant to him. He pounded on the wall, but it was completely solid. As if the Bat-Cave didn't exist. Bruce put his back to the wall and sunk down, deep in thought. A small squeak broke his thoughts. One of his children stood before him. Cassandra. She was the only one of Bruce's children that could sneak up on him. But it wasn't her voice. It was a boy's.   
"Dad? Is that you? What are you doing up? It's three in the morning!" The boy croaked.   
"Damian? I'm sorry, son. I didn't mean to wake you." Bruce could vaguely see the figure's expression change.  
"No, dad. Dami's still asleep. It's Tim." What? Tim didn't call him dad. Tim called him Bruce.   
"What are you doing up, er, son?"  
"Well, you woke me up with all of your pounding. What on Earth are you doing down here?" He said the first part like it was the most obvious fact on the planet.   
"I'm looking for something that doesn't exist."  
"Hmm. Cryptic." Tim laughed. It was a warm laugh, not at all like the one in Bruce's "dream."   
"C'mon. Let's get back to bed." Tim yawned.   
"Sounds like a plan to me, dad." Bruce put his hand on his son's shoulder and guided him up the stairs, back to his room. Bruce glanced at his attire before tucking him back in bed. It wasn't Red Robin's suit. It was an old, too-big shirt and too-short shorts. He frowned before asking Tim,   
"Tim? Where are Dick and Cass?" Bruce murmured through the cracked door.   
"Probably at their houses, dad." Tim murmured with a twinge of humor, but it was clear that he was too close to sleep to crack a full joke. Bruce closed the door and shuffled down to Dick's room.   
"At his house. Hmm." He whispered this to himself. Bruce closed his own room door, still facing it, and jumped about a foot in the air when a warm, familiar hand was placed on his back. He spun around to see Silena Kyle, her longer-than-normal hair dark and sleep-tousled.   
"Silena!? What are you doing here!? The-the boys still don't know about us!" Bruce looked at her, aghast. She frowned.   
"What? What don't the boys know?" She yawned and plopped back on the bed. Bruce jumped at another sight: the two rings on her left-hand ring-finger.   
"You-you're married!?" Silena was beyond confused.   
"I have been. For twenty-four years." Came her sarcastic reply.   
"To who?" Bruce didn't understand how Silena could be so nonchalant about the situation.   
"To you. Is-is something wrong, Bruce? You're acting awfully strange." Silena held his big hand in her petite one.   
"I-I think I just need some sleep. See you in the morning..... Darling." Silena shot him a final, confused, but slightly amused glance before rolling over. Bruce sat back on the bed, pulling the sheets over him. He tossed and turned, desperately trying to fall asleep. Finally, he vanished into a restless sleep.


	2. Another Normal Day?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bruce goes to work and everything is normal. Then he gets a surprise visitor.

MEEP!MEEP!MEEP!MEEP!MEEP!  
Bruce woke up with a groan. He rolled out of bed and sat up. Silena was already gone. Hmm. Was it all a dream? Would Dick come in soon and remind him how patrol was? No was the answer to that question. Bruce got dressed. He had a meeting this morning, of that he was certain. His tux was spotless, like normal. He admired himself in the shiny bathroom mirror. Nothing wrong here. He weighed a little more than he thought he did, it seemed, but his eyes shone normally and his hair was pitch dark, also completely usual. Still, he had the same sinking feeling that something was not right. At eight-thirty in the morning, the only ones who should be in the mansion are himself, Alfred, and maybe Dick.   
When Bruce sulked down the steps, he saw Alfred making breakfast. Not unusual. However, Silena was at the table. No Dick, either. Silena's eyes lit up.  
"Bruce! Hurry! You're late already!"  
"No need to worry, Master Bruce, I'd bet Mr. Fox has already started the meeting." Alfred continued cooking, but beckoned to the car outside the massive front door. Bruce scooped up a crimson apple, leaned in to kiss Silena absentmindedly and shuffled out the door. He hopped in the already running car.   
"Wayne Enterprises, sir?" Bruce glanced sideways at the driver. It looked like..... No, it couldn't be. Barry Allen?  
"Yes. Thank you, mister....."  
"Allen, sir. It's Barry. I've driven you for almost six years! You must've had an extra-rough night last night." He gave Bruce a wink. Bruce studied his driver's uniform. Red with yellow tassels. The Flash's colors. Barry's colors. Bruce glanced out the window, deep in thought. What was happening?  
"Here you are, master Bruce! See you after work!" Bruce gave Barry a halfhearted grin and walked off.   
"Good morning, Mr. Wayne!" Bambi, the front desk worker was always...... Wait. That wasn't Bambi. Bruce snapped his glance to the front desk worker. It looked like Helena Bertinelli. In fact, it was Helena based on her plaque on her desk. He took a gamble in saying;  
"Good morning, Helena." To his slight relief, she gave a bright smile. Bruce sauntered over to the elevator. He clicked the button without looking and the door opened, revealing a familiar man.   
"Hello, Mr. Wayne." The man was obviously Oliver Queen.   
"Mr. Queen." Bruce gave a nod. The elevator continued its slow ascent, stopping at floor 16. Oliver gave a grin, a slight wave, mumbled something about seeing Bruce later, and the door shut, leaving Bruce alone again.   
When the elevator jerked, the door opened, revealing an assembled board.   
"Ah, Mr. Wayne. How kind of you to join us. Please, have a seat." Bruce recognized Lucius' voice and sat at the head of the glass table.   
Throughout the increasingly boring meeting, Bruce found himself absentmindedly gazing out the massive window.   
"Mr. Wayne?"  
"Hmm?"  
"Dr. Isley was giving her speech on why we shouldn't break ground on the new penitentiary." Lucius' words ever-so-briefly brought Bruce back to the present.   
"Oh, please excuse me, Dr. Isley. I most certainly agree. The penitentiary could wipe out so many endangered plant species. It would be foolish of us." Bruce's words made Pamela Isley flush with pride.   
"Why-why Mr. Wayne, I must thank you for your kind and intelligent decision. You are clearly wise beyond your years." Isley gave Bruce a seductive smile after the end of the meeting.   
"I must apologize, Miss Isley. I am a happily married man." The words that came out of Bruce's mouth didn't even seem like they belonged to him. Isley's face flushed and she stormed away, down the hallway towards the elevators. Bruce opened the door to his office. This seemed like it was in the right place, but something in Bruce's gut told him it wasn't. He cracked open the door, and, sure enough, there it was. Bruce's office. He shut the door and sighed as he sunk into his chair, rubbing his temples. He had an awful headache.   
"Mr. Wayne?" Helena's voice came through his desk-speaker.   
"Ye-yes?"  
"Your son is here."  
"Ugh. Send him up."  
"What's the matter, sir? Don't want to see your son?" Helena's voice had a twinge of sarcastic jealousy.   
"No. I just have a sick headache."  
"Oh. Shall I send up some aspirin with him, sir?" Once again, Helena's voice had a derogatory undertone.   
"Heh. Yes."   
"Ugh. Little Wayne and his fiancé. I-oops!" Helena said the word "fiancé" with such venom it almost made Bruce forget about the fact that Helena had forgotten to turn off the speaker. Bruce wondered who was getting married to his son. He knew exactly which son was coming, that was obvious. Dick. All of his other boys were at school. If he could remember correctly, Dick had just turned 22, meaning that Jay was 17, Tim was 13, and Dami was 10. He peered at his desk ornaments, stopping at his family's last group picture. It was a beautiful sight. Aside from Bruce's headache, everything was perfect. Too perfect. Too happy. A sharp knock came at the door. An old secret knock Dick had insisted on making at age 8. Something about keeping Jason out of his room.   
"Come on in." The door clicked open to reveal Dick in a navy blue shirt and a brown jacket with..... Was that Barbara Gordon on his arm? It was!   
"Hiya, dad! What's up?" Dick's million-watt smile was completely normal.   
"Hi, Mr. Wayne! Sorry to just drop in, uninvited, but-" Dick cut his apparent fiancé off.   
"We just wanted to stop by and say, hi! And to kinda-sorta RSVP to dinner next Friday!" Dick talked faster than normal.   
"I see." Bruce gave a half-grin and looked down at Barbara's ring almost suspiciously. "I-I'm sorry, I don't think I've congratulated you two, yet." Dick looked up at him mockingly.   
"Dad, the wedding is next week. Did you already forget?" Dick smirked up at Bruce innocently with his...... Green eyes. What!? Dick doesn't have green eyes! The shade did seem familiar to Bruce. He glanced over at Barbara. Her hand was clenched tight around Dick's. She looked up at him uncomfortably. And she had the same shade of green eyes.   
"Ummm, hello? Earth to dad! Dad? Dad!? Bruce Wayne! Are you even listening!?"  
"I-I sorry, son."  
"Now, as I was saying....." Dick went on about who-knows-what until Barbara cut him off and started rattling on about wedding plans. All Bruce could think about was what was wrong. Dick wasn't ever this hyper. Sure, maybe it was excitement, but he seemed.... Lighter than usual.   
"Dad, is everything okay?"  
"No, Dick. Everything is more than okay-too perfect." Dick gave a chuckle.   
"Oh, of course it is. Your son is getting married! You'll get used to it after the wedding. It's mom I'm worried about." Dick mumbled the last part.   
"Your mother is alive!?" Dick gave a sarcastic-looking grin and Barbara turned her head to the side in bewilderment, her extremely shiny red lips almost reflecting the light from Bruce's window into his face from the corner of her mouth.   
"Well, you should know better than me. You live with her. I don't any longer." Came Dick's sarcastic reply.   
"Mary Grayson?" Bruce furrowed his eyebrows at his son.   
"Of the Flying Graysons? Haha. No. Silena Wayne. Your wife of, like thirty years or something." Dick's incorrectly-colored eyes lit up with amusement. His laugh wasn't the laugh from the dream, either. His was too warm, too familiar.   
"Well, we've gotta get going. See you next week then, dad. Love you!" Dick waved and closed the door behind him, other arm still around Barbara. Bruce grimaced at the happy picture before him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for keeping up with the story! Now, I need a total of 4 kudos and two more comments! Thanks for reading again! =)


	3. The Wedding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Dick and Barbara's wedding day! So..... Yeah.

Bruce spent the following few days restless, confused, and suspicious, noticing the same jade-colored eyes on everyone. Out-of-place things kept happening, and Bruce's senses kept telling him what was happening was right, but his gut told him it was wrong. The day of Dick's wedding, a day that should have been full of pride for Bruce, was just another day of absentmindedly getting through the day. The most interesting part of the wedding, for Bruce at least, was observing all of the guests. The Best Man was Wally West, with Jay, Roy Harper, Tim, and Dami as groomsmen. Tim couldn't stop grinning, but Jay looked as though he wanted to murder Dick. Tim was always closer to Dick than Jay was. The Maid Of Honor was none other than Dinah Lance, and the bridesmaids were Artemis Crock, Megan Morse, Zatanna Zatara, and, curiously enough, Helena Bertinelli. During the speeches, Bruce scanned the crowd and was slightly amused to see several, if not all of Dick's ex-flames. It should have been beautiful to Bruce. It should have made him proud. Seeing how happy his son was, and he thought he even may have even seen Jason smile at Dick and Barbara during their first dance. But it didn't make him happy. It only made his gut feeling sink deeper. Nearly the rest of the night was a blur.   
Near the end of the night, when most of the guests were sleeping in the gorgeous, massive hotel, the few that remained awake were Bruce, James Gordon, his wife Barbara, and Silena. Dick and Barbara hadn't been seen since the end of the reception. The remaining four sat, laughing and talking, and, for once, Bruce wasn't so uneasy. He felt at home sitting in the modern, gorgeous hotel with his new in-laws. Deep into the night, Bruce got up and excused himself, opened the door, and locked himself inside. He couldn't stop smiling. His boy, his oldest, had just gotten married! He was so proud of..... Wait. Bruce looked up at his reflection to see his normally-blue eyes flush green. Then, Bruce came crashing back to reality. Something still wasn't right. He wanted it to be, but, it just wasn't. He needed to figure out what was happening. He needed to snap everyone else awake. If this wasn't only in his head. A heavy knock shook the dark-wood door.   
"Bruce? Bruce, they just left. They are extremely nice people, Jim and Barbara, but, gosh they sure know how to talk. So, now that they're gone, what do you say we have some alone time?" Bruce flung open the door, gripped Silena's hands, and gazed into her too-green eyes.   
"Silena, something isn't-" Thud.   
"That'll be the boys." She frowned. "Come with me? They listen to you better. C'mon." Silena grabbed Bruce's arm and pulled him out of the room, through the front door of the hotel room. From the point of his high-up hotel room, Bruce could see the foyer down below, as well as the rest of the very-open hotel. He didn't get a full chance to study it, however, as Silena yanked him into his sons' room. Bruce stood in the doorway watching Silena try to wrangle their children. He heard the television on in the background.   
"Damian, what are you doing still up, kitten?" Silena had her hand on the boy's shoulder, preventing him from continuing his jumping on the couch and a twinge of amusement in her voice.   
"Jay said-" Jason grimaced at his younger brother mockingly.   
"Mom, Batman was on. Timmy wanted to watch, and Dami refused to sleep without him." Tim didn't bother to move. He was sprawled out in front of the chocolate-brown couch watching the television intently. Bruce finally looked away from Jay and Silena to see what his son was watching. Bruce's jaw dropped. Batman. Batman did exist. It just wasn't him. Something Silena said had made Dami start giggling, but something else got Bruce's attention. Jay smiled. He smiled wide. It was a welcome sight that sent shivers down Bruce's spine. But..... But it wasn't real. Couldn't be real. Jay's green-but-not-normally-green eyes caught Bruce's. Bruce nodded towards the doorway so as to beckon Jay outside. Jay got up, muttered something to Silena, stepped over Tim and walked out the door, staring down below, arms resting on the railing just like Bruce's.   
"Yeah, dad?"  
"It's been a while since I've seen you so happy. It-it's a welcome sight but..."  
"But what, dad?" Jay turned his head to face his father. "Is everything all right?"   
"Yes. Too perfect. I have a feeling. In-as silly as it sounds-my gut. A feeling that none of this is real. Like it's a dream."  
"It.... It can't be. Dick and I just had a talk, and we finally..... We finally......" His voice trailed off. Bruce held his shoulders and turned Jay to face him. Jay's wrongly green eyes started to flood with a familiar shade of blue. A dark, navy-grey.   
"Bruce, we need to help the others. We need to get out of here and find the person who's doing this to us. He just signed his own death warrant." Jay cracked his own knuckles.   
"Not tonight. We could alert who ever is controlling this place if we wake everyone up now."   
"Really?"  
"What?"  
"Nothing. I just think you're enjoying this place and don't even want to go back."   
"Do you?" Jason attempted to respond, but hesitated. "Is making amends with Dick really what you want most?" Jason hesitated again.   
"No. I just.... I just don't want to be the black sheep anymore. The odd one out. I've made mistakes. Too many. Made my life into a steaming pile of-"  
"You can change that, Jay. You can-" Bruce was cut off by a snore. Jay had fallen asleep after they sat down, backs to the wall, facing the room. Bruce chuckled and scooped up his sleeping son. He walked past the opened pull out bed, Damian snoring on top, Tim's arm draped around his younger brother. Bruce tucked in a sleeping Jason and surprisingly didn't wake him up.   
The next morning, Bruce woke up in the hotel room. Silena was still sleeping, snoring lightly. He sat up, but fell back down on the bed. He thought he saw something. He was sure he saw something. He didn't get a long enough glance, but he was sure it was the real world. Silena was awakened and her long eyelashes parted to reveal..... Green eyes. Not the shade everyone had, but hers.   
"Bruce? What's going on?" Bruce's eyes lit up.   
"We have a lot to talk about....."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a comment if you liked my story!!


	4. Dinner With The Whole Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dinner with everyone together. Thomas, Martha, Selina, Dick, Babs, Bruce, Tim, Jay, Dami, Dick and Babs' new baby....... WHAT!?

Bruce's next few days were full of anxiety, as he tried to free everyone from whatever control they were under, with the help of Jason and Silena. He managed to wake up Damian, and Tim as well. The flashes he saw the morning after Dick and Barbara's wedding were becoming stronger and more frequent. Bruce began taking notes on the place he saw, clearly a warehouse, grey and old. Abandoned. He was tied, next to Dick and Tim. He had a hat on, probably the source of his near-endless headache. He began to theorize, to plan an escape. Of those he saw in the warehouse, Dick was the only one who was still under their captor's control. He decided to talk to Dick when he came over for dinner on Friday, as well as none other than Bruce's in-reality-deceased parents, Thomas and Martha. He guessed that breaking Dick free would likely get them all back to reality. On the day of, Bruce sulked down the steps, to the kitchen.  
"Good morning, Master Bruce." Alfred greeted him brightly.  
"Hnn." Bruce grunted. He took his place at the head of the table, swiping the paper from Tim's usual spot, reading the first line; "Another Perfect Day In Gotham!"  
"-Tt- Father. Pennyworth." Damian nodded to both of the men, stomping down the stairs. He was followed by Tim, who grimaced at Bruce's swiping of his paper. Jason was last, almost sliding down the stairs, yawning with sleep-tousled hair making him look like he was a heavy-metal singer. Upon seeing him, Tim gave a more-than-amused smirk, and Damian looked down at his sad corn flakes to disguise his amusement. Jason mumbled something that vaguely sounded like "good morning," and sat down at the table.  
Later that day, after the school day was over, Damian looked up and down the car lane in search of Alfred.  
"-Tt- He's probably busy making dinner for tonight." He muttered to himself. His eyes continued to scan the crowd of cars, until he noticed Dick and Barbara giggling madly in the front seats of Dick's shiny blue Jeep. Dick's glance went to Damian, and his smile quickly turned to a look of apology. He waved at Damian, who gave him is best Bat-Glare, and got into the back seat of the car. Dick flashed him a bright smile, pulled away, no longer looking at Damian, but at the road, and asked,  
"Hey, bud! How was school, today?" Damian glared at him.  
"Meaningless, Grayson." Barbara glanced at Dick and mouthed, "Grayson?"  
"Oh, I doubt it, kiddo." Though he would never admit it Damian loved his older brother, but, sometimes, he really hated his always-happy attitude.  
"So, what made it bad, Dami?" This question came from Barbara, eyes apologetic, and lips pursed.  
"I got in trouble for destroying a child's lunch box." Barbara laughed at the seriousness in the boy's voice.  
"You realize you're a child, too, right?" Dick grinned and looked back at Damian. Damian glared back.  
"Watch your tongue, Grayson." Barbara raised her eyebrows at Dick, who just shrugged and kept driving, humming the tune that was barely audible from the radio and drumming on the steering wheel, causing Damian to scowl. The uneasy silence that formed was broken by Dick, ever true to character.  
"So, are you excited about seeing Gran and Gramps? I know I am." Dick seemed even more chipper than normal to Damian, if that was even possible.  
"-Tt- No."  
"C'mon. They live in Florida. It's not like you see them everyday."  
"Father owns how many private jets? It's not like I can't see them whenever I want." Damian was secretly extremely excited to see his grandparents, people that he never met but always heard about from Alfred.  
Upon arriving at the manor, the trio discovered that Thomas and Martha were already there, and in an intense discussion with Bruce and Tim. Jason sat on the couch with his feet up on the coffee table, intently watching The Mark Of Zorro, one of Bruce's favorite movies. Upon noticing his grandsons, Thomas's face lit up.  
"Dick! Damian! Hello! It's good to see you boys!" He wrapped them both in a big hug. Lots of reconciling occurred, and before anyone knew it, Alfred rang the dinner bell jokingly.  
"Dinner time!" He called, and a variety of workers came to deliver the family's food. Bruce recognized them all, save for one, but the short, squat, wild-haired man still looked familiar. As fast as the first course was served, it was gone, then came the second which was gone arguably faster. The final course came, and Dick murmured something to the employee that Bruce recognized as Joe Chill. A shudder ran down his spine. Moments later, he returned with glasses of champagne for the adults, and grape juice for the kids and Barbara. Bruce frowned.  
"Everyone, I'd-we'd like to make an announcement." Dick rose from the table, holding Barbara's hand and beckoning for her to stand as well. "Barbara is-we're-I'm-we're pregnant." Dick's grin widened with everyone's eyes.  
Starting with Jason, everyone raised their glasses.  
"To the new Wayne!" Jason shouted, everyone repeating it in unison before drinking. Dick's eyes met Bruce's, and Dick's smile faltered. His eyes began to change, but he shook his head and began to smile once more before sitting back down.  
"How touching." The previously unrecognized worker grinned and it became obvious who it was: Jervis Tetch, the Mad Hatter. At this sight, Dick's eyes flooded with his normal oceanic blur. The Hatter held a small pistol in his hand, aimed at Bruce's head. He was flanked by Joe Chill and someone who looked suspiciously like the Joker with a name tag that read Jack Napier.  
"I give you a perfect world in exchange for you leaving me alone. Wasn't perfect enough for any of you, huh? Well, I'll let you all out of it. For a price." The Hatter grinned wider and pulled the trigger.


	5. Resolution

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The illusion is broken. The heroes are free. Time for payback.

As soon as the bullet pierced Bruce's forehead, the other 5 were shot back to the real world. Bruce slumped forward, arms slack, dangling near the floor. The 5 were tied and gagged, all with massive comedic hats on their heads. Robin looked up and around, and it didn't appear as though anyone was conscious but him, but he knew better. He tapped a button and his Detective Vision flashed on, giving him specks on his allies. All but Batman were conscious, and Robin slouched back down quickly as he heard footsteps. The Mad Hatter came skipping from somewhere to Robin's left.   
"Hmm, I could've sworn they'd've been up by now. Oh, well!" He skipped away, quoting; "Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?" After The Hatter disappeared along with his footsteps, Nightwing leapt up, removed his gag and started to cut Red Hood free, who, Robin could've sworn rolled his eyes despite the mask. He revealed his already-cut hands and at that, Nightwing spun around, not skipping a beat, and checked Batman's pulse. He breathed a sigh of relief, and turned to free the already free Red Robin. Catwoman sat up, tearing the gag from her mouth and swearing silently. Robin clicked a button and his gauntlet blades flared blue, and went rigid, and he sliced himself free, shooting to his feet.   
"He's fine. Alive." Nightwing beckoned to Batman. He chuckled to himself and pulled off the comedic, oversized hat from his head, and proceeded to do the same to Robin. Afterwards, he ruffled the boy's hair and dropped the hats to the floor, stomping on both with one foot. Everyone else followed suit. They pulled off Batman's, too. Immediately, his breathing steadied. It appeared that he was just unconscious, no longer in the coma that his imaginary death put him into. Mad Hatter came skipping back, grinning like a fool, until he saw the 5 of them standing. Instantly, his smile melted away, replaced by a look of extreme fear.   
"B-bo-oys...... Come protect your master! Now!" He leapt back, and Red Hood lunged forward, slammed back by a nightstick that belonged to a guard with a massive hat on. The Mad Hatter was now flanked, face flushed with pride. Red Hood rubbed his chin and knocked down the guard, who crashed to the floor, losing his nightstick and hat, while Catwoman pulled the other forward, sliding under him to let Red Robin knock him out with one huge punch. Nightwing and Robin leapt forward together, with Nightwing knocking off The Hatter's hat from above and Robin knocking him over from below.   
"You're mad." Nightwing snapped at the crumpled form of The Hatter.   
"Well, you'll find in life that the best people are." Came The Hatter's retort, followed by a bloody grin. Robin looked into Nightwing's eyes and asked earnestly,   
"Barbara isn't really pregnant, right?" Nightwing chuckled and ruffled his hair.   
"No, Robin." Robin kicked the psycho's head and  
The Hatter groaned and went to lift his head, the same gun that shot Bruce at the ready, but he dropped it and grabbed his hand in pain when Batman stepped on it.   
"You're done." Batman growled, picking up the Mad Hatter's hat and looking at it. It was a familiar shade of green.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You've stuck with me to the end! I love you for that! Thanks so much for reading. I really hope you've enjoyed my first work. Now, if you would, be a bud and read my other work, Golden Boy?


End file.
